Taylor Malmsheimer: State stands to lose something special

Taylor Malmsheimer, a junior at Cazenovia High School, wrote this essay for the April 12 Voices page.

By Taylor Malmsheimer Contributing writer

The New York state government is looking for ways to save money. One of the proposed ways to do this is to close 64 state parks and 15 historic sites throughout the state. I strongly object to this plan.

Many people enjoy visiting state parks for a variety of reasons. Some people go to enjoy a picnic with friends and others go by themselves for serene tranquility. People travel 10 minutes up the road or two hours or more in their cars to get to our parks. Regardless, it would be a shame to close these state parks that provide an inexpensive place to appreciate nature.

I happen to have a state park right up the road from me: Chittenango Falls State Park. This park was established in 1922 and the main attraction of its 194 acres is the 167-foot-tall waterfall that plunges into Chittenango Creek. The park has trails, scenic views and even its own endangered species: the Chittenango ovate amber snail.

Chittenango Falls State Park is just one of the parks in the state. I know that each park that could be closed has something special that should not be lost. I recently visited Chittenango Falls and I was struck by the idea that the place could soon be locked. It would be a shame if people could not continue to appreciate the beauty of these state parks.